LG HD2 25A 2000mAh 18650 Retest Results...a great 25A battery, about equal to VTC4

[Mooch]

These cells were purchased for the purposes of testing with donations made for that purpose. Thank you! To prevent any confusion with the eGo-type "batteries", I use the term "cell" here to refer to a single 18650, 26650, etc.


Disclaimer
The statements, conclusions, and recommendations I make based on these tests are only my personal opinion. Carefully research any battery you are considering using before purchasing.

Testing cells at their limits is dangerous and should never, ever, be attempted by anyone who has not thoroughly studied the dangers involved and how to minimize them.


A note regarding current ratings and my testing
If the cell has only one current rating number on it, or if it says "max discharging current" then I have to assume that the company is stating that the cell can be discharged at that current level in any way, including continuously.




Bottom Line
This is a great 25A continuous cell that meets its 2000mAh rating. It did better than the last time I tested it in June 2015. The HD2 and VTC4 are close in overall performance and I don't think you'd see a difference in actual use.


Continuous-Current Test Results



Pulsed-Current Test Results
These tests are done to show the performance of the cell at higher pulsed current levels. If you are running your mod at these levels be aware that you risk overheating, and possibly venting, the battery if there is a malfunction or accidental pressing of your mechanical mod's button.



Comments

• At 10A continuous it reached over 1850mAh. This is good performance for an 2000mAh-rated cell operating at 10A so I am rating this cell at 2000mAh.
• Its temperature at 15A continuous was 63°C, significantly below the average for a cell operating at its continuous discharge rating (CDR).
• At 20A continuous the temperature rose to 74°C, a bit below the average for a cell operating at its CDR.
• At 25A continuous the temperature rose to 83°C. This is the upper limit of the range of average temperatures for a cell operating at its CDR.
• At 30A continuous the temperature rose to 95°C. This is much too hot for a cell operating at its CDR. The voltage is starting to sag a lot more too, indicating that the cell is operating at beyond its rating.
• Two more discharges at 30A continuous showed some signs of damage. This is clearly only a 25A cell.
• I am setting a CDR of 25A for this cell since at this current level its operating temperature is at upper limit of the average for a cell operating at its CDR. While operating any cell near its rated maximum current level causes damage to the cell, I would expect decent cycle life from this cell at 25A continuous.
• I have included pulsed discharges but I haven't set pass/fail standards for pulse testing yet. The discharges were done at 5sec on/30sec off, down to 2.5V. One chart shows the entire discharge at each level. The other chart is zoomed in to show the first 5 minutes to make it easier to see the voltage sag at different current levels.

To see how other cells have tested and how hard you can safely push them, check out these links:
List of Battery Tests | E-Cigarette Forum
18350 Safety Grades and Pulse Performance Data | E-Cigarette Forum
18650 Battery Ratings -- Picking a Safe Battery to Vape With | E-Cigarette Forum
26650 Safety Grades and Pulse Performance Data | E-Cigarette Forum

 

[sig-cmt]

You are breaking my bank, Mooch. Every time you confirm a good cell, I go out and buy four of them .

 

[Mooch]

You are breaking my bank, Mooch. Every time you confirm a good cell, I go out and buy four of them .

I should have a crappy one soon.

 

[Derek Cross]

What was the difference @Mooch between the last time you tested this cell? I read your other post and was curious. Maybe they read your first test results and decided to remake the batteries better? Kinda scares me that a company like LG could have such inconsistencies in the quality of theyre cells. Maybe im wrong in thinking this way?

 

[Mooch]

What was the difference @Mooch between the last time you tested this cell? I read your other post and was curious. Maybe they read your first test results and decided to remake the batteries better? Kinda scares me that a company like LG could have such inconsistencies in the quality of theyre cells. Maybe im wrong in thinking this way?

The difference in performance for this testing was only a 2°C drop in temperature. This put it in the 25A CDR bracket as it was just below that in the previous test. Early on in my testing I only used 5A steps for ratings. This made it easier to set and compare cells but once I started seeing many of them being very close in performance I decided to drop down to 1A steps for the ratings. If I was rating the earlier HD2 test now it would have been a 24A cell.

LG is incredibly consistent in the grading/binning of its cells. But we get all of our cells on the gray market and can never know if we're getting a different grade or not. This can lead to performance differences within +/-5% in my testing for genuine cells, typically +/-2%.

 

[sonicbomb]

LG is the ruling champion of high performance 18650s

 

[Derek Cross]

LG is the ruling champion of high performance 18650s

So lg in your opinion is a better quality high drain cell than Sony? Why do so many put Sony above everyone else then? Is it because for a while, they were the only company offering a true 30 amp cell while some other China companies were putting exaggerated ratings on their cells?

 

[Derek Cross]

LG is the ruling champion of high performance 18650s

Thanks @Mooch. I was wrong then, because I was looking only at the beginning of each post so I thought your first test was rating this a 20amp cell, while this test rated it 25 amps. I also didn't pay very good attention to the temperature you ended up with at each amp load because I thought there were a much larger difference.

Anyway thanks again. I chose to purchase 4 LG HB4 cells based on your tests of all of the HB cells and I cant wait for them to make it to my door.

 

[Mooch]

So lg in your opinion is a better quality high drain cell than Sony? Why do so many put Sony above everyone else then? Is it because for a while, they were the only company offering a true 30 amp cell while some other China companies were putting exaggerated ratings on their cells?

They never had a 30A cell. The VTC4's alleged 30A rating was just due to a misunderstanding of the datasheet.

 

[Derek Cross]

They never had a 30A cell. The VTC4's alleged 30A rating was just due to a misunderstanding of the datasheet.

Oh wow. I did not know this. I believe i read you being quoted somewhere tho stating its a 23amp cell now that I think of it. So are the pink hb6's or the hb2's I already purchased(4) a better cell for high amp pulsing on a single cell unregulated mech? I read that the hb4 cell has lowest voltage drop as its capacity drains but im just going by what others post(mostly your tests) as I dont have any testing equipment of my own. This is why everyone seriously is grateful for the time you put in. Its very generous because otherwise we wouldn't know.

 

[Mooch]

Oh wow. I did not know this. I believe i read you being quoted somewhere tho stating its a 23amp cell now that I think of it. So are the pink hb6's or the hb2's I already purchased(4) a better cell for high amp pulsing on a single cell unregulated mech? I read that the hb4 cell has lowest voltage drop as its capacity drains but im just going by what others post(mostly your tests) as I dont have any testing equipment of my own. This is why everyone seriously is grateful for the time you put in. Its very generous because otherwise we wouldn't know.

Thanks.
The HB series is better for over 30A because they run cooler, i.e., safer, than the VTC4. The VTC4 hits a touch harder than the HB's but the HD2C beats the VTC4 by a touch.